Alcohol and Marijuana are an enormous problem in our society. Many teens throughout the United States use and abuse these addictive substances for many reasons. Some people use alcohol and marijuana as an “escape” from the problems they face. Others use it because they think that they will be seen as “cool” if they do. And still others use it because their parents use and abuse alcohol and marijuana so they think that it is okay to do the same. Rebellion is also a huge reason that drives usage. Marijuana and alcohol are such huge problems for minors because both substances are easily and readily available. Alcohol is the more available drug of the two. If I wanted to start using and abusing alcohol, it would be extremely easy. I could get alcohol at any of my friend’s houses, at my relative’s houses, and also at my own house. But if I wanted marijuana, I would have no idea where to go to get it.
The effects of marijuana are similar to the effects of tobacco. Marijuana contains many of the same carcinogens as cigarettes do; only the effects of marijuana are much stronger than the effects of cigarettes. The chemicals in five marijuana joints a week are equivalent to the chemicals in on pack a day of cigarettes. Marijuana can cause brain damage and cancer. Not much else is known about the long-term effects of marijuana. Much more is known about the long-term effects of alcohol. Alcohol has a mind-boggling negative effect on the human body. Consuming too much alcohol on a regular basis can bring great damage to your heart, liver, brain, sexual reproductive organs in males and females, stomach, and immune system. Your nervous system also is negatively affected. Feeling in both hand and feet can be lost. Vital organs such as your heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and liver are severely damaged, often times to the point of death. Also, your blood does not clot as well when you have too much alcohol in your blood stream, so if you were to get cut while intoxicated, you would not stop bleeding, and depending on the severity of the cut, you could end up bleeding to death.
Many teens are unaware of the effects that alcohol and marijuana have on their bodies, or at least they claim not to know. Other teens just don’t care what happens to them. Another common excuse for using and abusing marijuana and alcohol is “Oh those effects? They can’t possibly happen to me.” So many teens are ignorant and too stubborn to see that alcohol and marijuana don’t pick and choose whom they affect. Anyone who uses these substances on a regular basis is at risk for any of the effects.
Marijuana is illegal to grow, sell, and use for any age. Alcohol is only illegal for minors. Marijuana is rightfully illegal; the short-term effects are too dangerous to be messed with, and the long0term effects that are still unknown are also dangerous. Marijuana is bad for the health of individuals and communities. Alcohol is illegal not only for minors, but also for people under the age of 21. I disagree with the age limit on alcohol. If you can go and fight for your country in the army, then you should be able to have a barbeque and a beer in your backyard with your friends. Once you turn 18 you are a legal adult, you have to learn to make decisions for yourself, and if you choose to make a poor decision by drinking before your brain is fully developed, then that is your problem. Besides, if I am one month younger than my 21st birthday, how much can change in my brain over the period of 30 days? The national drinking age should be lowered to 18.

Cell Phone Usage in School

Should cell phones be allowed in school? Phones should be put away during class time, but should students be allowed to use their phones before and during homeroom, during tutorial, during lunch, and while in the locker rooms when changing for gym? Should cell phones be allowed at all of these times, some of these times, or none of these times? Give reasons to support your opinion.

Should the United States government legalize illegal drugs? No, illegal drugs should remain illegal. No matter what the reason, everything has a reason for being illegal. Drugs are illegal because the side effects of drugs can be harmful or dangerous to the user and to others. Methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and other extremely dangerous drugs are all currently illegal. If these drugs were to become legal, the amount of users and abusers would surely increase. Whether you believe it or not, some people do not use illegal drugs purely because they are illegal. These people are the same people who would become drugs users if drugs were made legal.

If hard-core drugs such as those previously mentioned were to become legal, then an age limit absolutely needs to be put in place. Children and adults under the age of 21 should never be permitted to use and abuse drugs. Of course, the exception of prescription drugs will always be there. But prescription drugs should only be taken by the person they were prescribed to, as instructed by the person’s doctor. Taking someone else’s prescription drugs, or taking an over-dose of your own prescription is considered abusing the privilege of prescription drugs. These two scenarios should never be legalized. Selling your own prescription should not be made legal either.

The decision of not legalizing drugs could have no effect on the nation, but it does insure the safety of some people. Many people who use and abuse drugs stay out of the light of the police and other authorities while they are intoxicated. If drugs were made legal, these people would no longer remain hidden away while under the influence of drugs and could be potentially harmful to other people. I believe that all drugs that are currently illegal should remain illegal, and some drugs that are legal (such as prescriptions and over the counter drugs) should have restrictions placed on them. But over all, drugs should remain illegal.

v http://www.cyberessays.com/Politics/95.htm

v http://www.gargaro.com/drugs.html

v http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm

Plain and simple, tobacco is a money-suck. A single pack of cigarettes is another two candy bars you can’t enjoy. Four dollars for a single tin of chew, is that a price you’re willing to pay? For someone who is addicted, the money could add up fast. Two, four, six, eight, even 10 packs a week? Tobacco is costly; it will cost you.

On the government side of the question "Should tobacco be illegal and why?", there is a history. This history is not of tobacco, but of another potentially harmful substance. The United States government outlawed alcohol in the 1920's. The prohibition was intended to reduce crime rate, but in reality all it did increase crime rate. People who are addicted to a harmful substance will use it whether the government declares it illegal or not. Someone who chews tobacco or smokes tobacco or uses tobacco in any other way will continue to use that product, even if it is announced illegal.
http://www.con-suming.com/Tobacco/should_tobacco_be_legal.htm

Looking at the influence of tobacco on the health of a society can be very alarming. People who use tobacco for smoking and chewing can not only harm themselves but others as well. Second-hand smoking is probably the most well known form of harming a community through one person’s actions. Being in the same room as someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes is the same as if you yourself were smoking 1-2 cigarettes. The effects of one person smoking can be felt through out an entire community. Chew can also cause problems in society. People who spit chew on the sidewalks could unintentionally cause pets to become very ill, if the pets were to lick the chew.
http://www.progressiveu.org/102737-tobacco-should-be-illegal

When I researched the effect of tobacco on one’s personal health, I found a quite thought-provoking video. A young man filmed his mother who had smoked and been diagnosed with lung cancer. Tobacco contains many deadly substances, such as ammonia, cyanide, DDT, arsenic, and 200 other fatally poisonous substances. Lung cancer, rotten teeth, increased physical aging, and many other horrible things can result from smoking. Chewing tobacco is not any better. Your teeth will rot, and you will eventually develop diseases on your tongue, the roof of your mouth, and the inside of your cheeks if you chew tobacco rather than smoke tobacco.
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/04/23/Should_tobacco_be_banned/

Tobacco is a terrible substance. It is enjoyable to some people, but in the end it will destroy those who use and abuse it. Should tobacco be illegalized? No. Making tobacco illegal could create a idealistic society, on the condition that everyone was willing to abide by the law. Like I mentioned earlier, outlawing tobacco would just be repeating history. It’s a great idea, but it won’t work. It will cause more problems than it would solve. Now people who are addicted legally would be illegally addicted and if they were caught satisfying that person’s addiction, then the law would have to deal with that person. Tobacco should not be made illegal. It will backfire.

I would definitely say that a question about swine flu vaccinations exists. Some people believe that the vaccinations are definitely the way to go. I personally try to think outside the box. No one should decide to have a vaccine for anything just because the guy on TV who pretends to be a doctor says to. In some cases, the vaccine could possibly do more damage than the actual disease itself. For example, young, healthy people who are more than likely to survive the disease if they get it should not receive the vaccination. Pregnant woman also should not receive the vaccination, because if the mother has a reaction to the vaccine and dies, then the baby would die also. It is much more of a risk when you are considering the life of an infant. I have read that some side effects of the H1N1 vaccine include a weakened immune system, and a reduction of fertility of up to 80%. some milder effects include soreness and headaches.

No one can say that the H1N1 vaccine will work 100% of the time, because everyone is different. Different bodies will react differently the same same vaccine. It may be worth the risk if you are in poor health or elderly. Younger people who are in good health should think twice about whether or not receiving the vaccine is worth the risk.

I say that maturity is the best way to avoid bullying. because quite frankly, you only bully if you are immature. Dealing with conflicts can be done with out "you're such a whore." "You're stupid." "I hate you." and other rude comments. You do not need to hit someone to get your point across to him or her. Talking about someone behind his or her back or even to his or her face is wrong and immature. And everyone does or has done this. By acting as a mature person, you can avoid a scene of hitting, name calling, rude glares, and other various forms of bullying. Forgive and forget, don't pick a fight. Or realize that bullying will not make you feel better about yourself. A little bit of maturity can go a long way. Now, I don't claim not to be a bully, because I am. I bully my friends all the time. I shouldn't, but it has become a habit. And I know this to be true for many people. Bullying is a habit that needs to be broken, and it all starts with a little maturity. Resisting the urge to shout "freshmen!" when a class of 9th graders comes in to your class in order to borrow the laptops, or deciding against giving dirty looks to someone who thinks differently from you are both ways to prevent little events of bullying by a little maturity. If you get in a physical fight, you can be mature and not strike back to the person who hit you first. This is also an example of how a little maturity can help prevent bullying. Using positive words in a mature manner can also prevent verbal bullying. Rather than mouthing off about how someone looks slutty today, you can keep your mouth shut. Also, if someone you are not very fond of asked for help on homework, rather than being snotty to him or her, you can bite your tongue and help them, or gently say that you aren't sure of the material he or she is learning.
Simple acts of maturity can greatly reduce the number of bullying incidents seen throughout the school year and the summer. I firmly believe that if everyone were mature about their actions and words, bullying would become much less frequent.

I am definitely not an expert on soy, but my dad is a vegetarian so i do know a little bit. Soy is a bean that is a good source of different minerals, vitamins, and also protein. My baby sister is lactose intolerant, so we give her chocolate soy milk to drink. I am guessing that it can't be too harmful, because she has been drinking it for over a year and she is the smartest kid for his or her age in our family. I personally am not a fan of any soy products, even if it is healthy.
My aunt owns a horse farm for race horses, and she told me a very interesting fact about soy that i never knew before. Horses cannot eat raw soy because it contains a chemical that will make the horses lose a lot of weight very rapidly. But once soy has been cooked, it is used in a great number of horse feeds.